Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp and Michelle Yeoh have been announced as the first official cast members of Star Trek: Discovery as details finally emerge about the long-awaited TV series.

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Jones – a veteran fantasy star best recognised from Pan’s Labyrinth – will play Lt. Saru, a Starfleet science officer and a member of an alien species never before seen in the Star Trek universe. Oh, and he has a background as a contortionist.

Musical theatre star Rapp will be Lt. Stamets, another science officer with an interest in astromycology and fungus on the starship Discovery.

Yeoh’s casting was rumoured last week, but CBS have now confirmed she will be aboard the starship Shenzhou as Starfleet Captain Georgiou. The actress has previously starred in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Discovery will be Star Trek’s first TV outing since Enterprise finished a four-series run in 2005. It was confirmed last year, but ever since, there have been delays and changes to the creative team.

Executive producer Bryan Fuller decided to step back from his role as showrunner, handing over the reins to Gretchen Berg, Aaron Harberts and Akiva Goldsman – and the show is now set for a May release date.